News Release

BLM Plans Oil and Gas Lease Auction

The Bureau of Land Management will conduct an auction of oil and gas leases on federal land on Sept. 12. The lease auction will be held at the Holiday Inn Select, 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield. The room will open at 8 a.m. to allow bidders to register and obtain a bid number. The competitive oral auction will begin at 9 a.m.

The competitive lease auction involves 17 parcels for a total of 16,107.72 acres of public lands in Kern and Kings counties.

A detailed notice of the lease auction with parcel descriptions, acreage, lease terms and conditions, oral bidding procedures and requirements, and other sale information is available on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/og/instructions/leasesale/2007.html If you are not able to access this site, copies of the Lease Sale Notice will be available at the California BLM State Office and the BLM Bakersfield Field Office for $5.

BLM is required by law to periodically offer federal land for lease for oil and gas exploration and development. The oil and gas industry is encouraged to submit an "expression of interest" for federal land parcels in California that have potential for development. An “expression of interest” is a letter or a form listing the legal description of lands an individual or company is interested in seeing offered for lease.

Expressions of interest should be sent to the BLM, Attention: Laurie Moore, 2800 Cottage Way Suite W-1618, Sacramento, Calif. 95825.

For questions regarding the September 12 lease auction or to obtain a form to submit an expression of interest, contact Nora DeDios at the BLM Bakersfield Field Office, (661) 391-6129 or Moore at (916) 978-4377.